Vikings host SWE in EP2A semis tonight

Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 10:45 PM.

Kinston hasn’t lost since falling to Waxhaw Cuthbertson in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in December, winning a total of 11 straight games since.

The loss — a game in which the Vikings led by 13 in the third quarter and didn’t’ score in the fourth — has motivated the team every game since.

“That’s what really sparked everybody going hard every single day,” Dawson said. “Everybody still has that sour taste in our mouths every night that we go out there and play. No matter how good you are, you can always be beat so you just have to go out there and play as hard as you can.”

It’s also a game first-year coach Perry Tyndall refers to often, just so his team doesn’t get too complacent following win after win.

“Losing exposes things that you don’t see sometimes when you’re winning. … Those losses did expose things and humbled us, and ultimately, I think, helped us. There’s no question about it,” Tyndall said.

“I do refer to it. I said, ‘Remember how you felt at Christmas.’ We’ve been very, very fortunate that we haven’t experienced losing since Christmas. But, we know that at any given time it can happen.”

Tyndall, who has been a part of all seven league crowns, even goes as far as to make sure he himself doesn’t get caught up in what Kinston has accomplished.

Kinston’s boys basketball team has owned regular season and tournament play in conference for seven straight years, and there’s a reason for that.

The Vikings are simply never satisfied.

Kinston, which captured its seventh consecutive regular season conference title last week, will host fifth-seeded SouthWest Edgecombe at 7:30 p.m. today in a semifinal game of the Eastern Plains 2A Conference tournament.

They’re also going for their seventh straight tournament title as well.

“Kinston High has a history of great basketball. Like, it’s been great since Day 1,” senior guard Josh Dawson said. “Me, period, I just want to keep the legacy going because that’s the type of guy that I am. I’m going to be competitive no matter what.”

The top-ranked Vikings (20-2) haven’t faced much adversity this season, but when they have they were able to respond.

Kinston hasn’t lost since falling to Waxhaw Cuthbertson in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational in December, winning a total of 11 straight games since.

The loss — a game in which the Vikings led by 13 in the third quarter and didn’t’ score in the fourth — has motivated the team every game since.

“That’s what really sparked everybody going hard every single day,” Dawson said. “Everybody still has that sour taste in our mouths every night that we go out there and play. No matter how good you are, you can always be beat so you just have to go out there and play as hard as you can.”

It’s also a game first-year coach Perry Tyndall refers to often, just so his team doesn’t get too complacent following win after win.

“Losing exposes things that you don’t see sometimes when you’re winning. … Those losses did expose things and humbled us, and ultimately, I think, helped us. There’s no question about it,” Tyndall said.

“I do refer to it. I said, ‘Remember how you felt at Christmas.’ We’ve been very, very fortunate that we haven’t experienced losing since Christmas. But, we know that at any given time it can happen.”

Tyndall, who has been a part of all seven league crowns, even goes as far as to make sure he himself doesn’t get caught up in what Kinston has accomplished.

His players follow suit.

“I don’t like to think about a lot of that stuff because, well, SouthWest Edgecombe, tomorrow night, just knocked off North Pitt. You look back last year and Tarboro was a motivated team that made it to the championship of the conference tournament,” Tyndall said.

“I don’t want this group to look ahead at all. They’ll be a time to look back and celebrate the things that we’ve accomplished, but right now we’ve got to focus in on one game at a time just because it’s that time of the year where if you look ahead you’ll get disappointed.”

Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.